Game apparatus



Jan. 5 ,1926. 1,568,340

P. J. M GRATH GAME APPARATUS Filed y 5, 1924 mmvron' ATTbRN Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

UNITED STA-res.

PATRICK J. McGRATI-LOF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

GAME 'APPABATUS.

Application filed May 3,

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, PATRICK J. MoGnA'rn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, in the city of New York, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to game apparatus and particularly to game apparatus for throwing small projectiles such as balls, marbles, and the like, into one or more suitable receptacles, and its main object is to provide an apparatus in which the projectiles are returned automatically to the throwing member or means after each throw. Another object is to provide such apparatus that is especially adapted for the use of marbles or small balls as projectiles, and still another object is to provide such an apparatus that will be of low cost of manufacture, simple, strong, and convenient.

The means I prefer to employ for effecting the above-named objects, together with other advantageous and useful features of my improved game apparatus, are illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a game apparatus embodying my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same taken along the line 33 of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of my invention, and

Fig. 5 is a plan of the same.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts in all the figures of the drawing.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the numeral 2 indicates the base of the apparatus and said base is preferably formed of sheet metal and has flanges 3 to strengthen it, said flanges being bent outwardly to form hearing portions 4 on which the apparatus rests.

Pivoted on the base 2 is a ball throwing member and there are ball receiving means in alinement with the same and with the path of the balls when thrown. Ordinarily 15 the ball throwing member is a lever and the ball receiving means are metal cups and are preferably arranged in the following manner; secured to the base 2- are two supports, flanges or brackets 5 which ordinarily serve a twofold purpo Q, one part being .to form a means of pivoting the ball throwing lever 6, and the other being to support one or 1324. Serial No. 710,717.

more ball receiving members, receptacles, or cups 7. Any suitable means may be em ployed to secure the supports 5 to the base, but preferably I employ slots 8 in the base and tongues 9 on the lower parts of the supports 5 which tongues are put through said slots'and then bent back against the underside of the base.

The ball throwing member or lever 6 is pivoted to the supports 5 bypivots which are preferably hollow rivets or eyelets such as 10. I The lever 6 in this instance is provided with side flanges 11 which receive the inner portions of the rivets or pivots 10.

The ball receivers or receiver may be Sn 7 ported in any suitable way but ordinari y are secured on said supports 5.and preferably on extensions 12 thereof. The said receivers are ordinarily in the form of round cups as shown but any suitable form or cups may be employed.

The lever 6 has a ball pocket or holding means 15 and also has a groove 16 extending lengthwise from a point under the right hand cup 7 to the ball pocket 15. The right hand portion of the lever 6 is what I term the finger portion and this portion is shorter than the left hand or ball throwing portion. The ball pocket 15 is formed by securing a semicircular piece of sheet metal to the end of the lever and said piece extends up high enough to hold the ball in place when the marble or ball is placed therein as indicated at 18.

Each ball receiver or receptacle 7 is adapted to automatically return the balls, marbles or projectiles to the throwing mem her or lever 6, and any suitable means may be used to effect this result. Preferably I form an opening 19 in the bottom of each receptacle or cup 7 over the groove 16 of the throwing member or finger lever 6.

When a projectile such as a ball or marble is thrown and enters a cup 7 it falls to the bottom and through said opening 19 and is thereby guided into the groove 16 of the lever 6, and then rolls or slides to the pocket The balls or projectiles are thrown by first lacing one in the pocket 15 and then strikmg the right hand end 20 of the lever 6 with the finger or hand, and the ball then rises and takes a parabolic course into one of the cups 7, if given the right impetus. It then passes down through the hole 19 and returns to the pocket 15 and this is repeated as Figs. 4 and 5 show the invention sup plied with only one call receptacle 7' and provided with a simplified lever support 22 secured to the base 2 by means of ears 9' and slots 10 as in the form shown in the first three figures.

What I claim is t 1. A game apparatus embodying ball throwing means, including a ball-throwing lever having a longitudinal groove and a ball socket, andball receiving means efiective for automatically retu-rnin'gthe "ball: to the ball, row ng means ftr.- a hrow n which receiving means include a receptacle h v ng an e ongated} o tenrop ling alined and, comm nica ing th he g oo e; of ai lever 2- Agame-appar tu mb dy ng ever f-. h.e;fi. st order h ving a ihol ing' means and means on s a-id-leve1-' cooperative in returning the ball to the ball holding means, and aball receptacle over-the-lever and into which the ball can be thrown by the lever and having means whereby the ball is antiobase, a lever pivoted on said supporting members and having a ball pocket at one end, and a groove from the pivotal portion to said pocket, and a ball receiver over the lever provided with an opening alined to and conducting to said groove, whereby the ball is returned to the same after a throw.

4. A game apparatuscomprising a base, a pair of supportssecure'd to the base, a ball throwinglever having a finger portion, a ball holding portion, and a groove to the hallholding portion, pivoting means whereby the lever-is pivoted by and between said supports,- an d a plurality oi hall receptacles mounted over the lever by said supports. in alinement with each other and with the path of; the balls; and each provided with 7 an outlet alined with and conducting to the groove of saidlever.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York, this 21st day of February, 192a.

PATRICK J. MQGRATH. 

